“You said you weren’t going to kill me!”

September 11, 2015

Imagine you are #NatashaMcKenna. You’ve been in a psychotic state for several days. You believe your phone is being monitored. You believe the police have been harassing you. “You said you weren’t going to kill me,” she pleads as she’s pulled from her cell by a swarm of men with masks, shields & scary white suits. It’s horrible to watch. This video makes me sick to my stomach.
But I don’t see this primarily as a failure of the deputies. It is a failure once again of our country’s mental health system.

Sheriff Kincaid herself said the jails end up being the default housing for #FairfaxCounty ‘s mentally ill. She has pledged an internal affairs review of policies and procedures. Its clear the deputies are ill equipped help Natasha through her crisis. Tasers on someone who is already agitated and freaked out? Of course she doesn’t understand their commands. We have to do more to get people into treatment centers – even against their will, rather than treating them like criminals.

Watch the entire video. Read the report. (Both at the link below) Then demand better from your legislators.